Lassa Fever: Irrua Specialist Hospital Confirms Death of Three Persons

• …Says 61 patients under admission, 27 treated and discharged

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The management of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) has confirmed the death of three persons from Lassa Fever.

It also said 61 patients were currently admitted, while 27 were treated and discharged since the outbreak of the fever this year.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Sylvanus Okogbenin, who spoke with journalists in Irrua, however, dispelled rumours that a youth corps member serving in Asaba and two pregnant women admitted for Lassa Fever lost their lives.

He explained that the two pregnant women brought in from Ondo and Ogun States have both delivered their babies safely.
ISTH houses the Lassa Fever Centre where cases are being treated and managed.

Okogbenin further disclosed that a medical doctor from Jalingo, Taraba State that was also admitted for Lassa Fever and presumed dead, was responding to treatment.

According to him, the youth corps member has received two dialysis sessions and was recovering.

His words, “The number of patients admitted in the hospital has increased, but the deaths have reduced significantly. This is because we are better prepared. We know the season, so we get our supplies ready.

“Due to more awareness, people now come for treatment and management. There are diagnoses in more centres than before and it is a mixture of increase in awareness that leads to increase in the number of patients we see.

“All our patients are not from Edo. Some are from Kogi, Jigawa and Ogun states.
“The cases in Edo State are from Esan North-east, Estako West and Esan West Local Government areas. Those areas are where we have surveillance and try to educate the people.

The CMD also disclosed that the Edo State government has been supportive, adding that the hospital received over 500 protective equipment from the state government while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) supplied consumables used for treatment.
“Lassa Fever treatment is not declared free. A bed is N1000 daily. The drug is free. If patients cannot pay, they are treated and asked to go. No patient is sent away because of payment.

“No corps member died here. The youth corps member that was brought here is still alive. He is recovering and has done two dialysis sessions. The two pregnant women from Ogun and Owo in Ondo State also delivered safely. Their babies are fine and okay. The medical doctor from Jalingo did not die. He is doing well. We expect him to make a full recovery soon.

“Meanwhile, the Edo State government has deployed more medical personnel to border communities to sensitise people on preventive measures,” the prof said.

He said the state has also approved the deployment of three ambulances to help quick response in conveying patients to Lassa fever centres as well as planned to buy two additional dialysis machines to complement the one at ISTH.